Global health challenges – including life expectancy – are influenced by gender

Nov 19, 2014

November 19, 2014 - The health challenges facing both men and women globally are heavily influenced by gender. Today, International Men’s Day, the global health community seeks to promote positive male role models, celebrate men’s positive contributions to society, focus on men’s health and wellbeing, highlight discrimination against males, and improve gender relations and promote gender equality.

Globally, men die younger than women. There are a number of reasons for this, such as biological, societal and behavioral differences.

Gender differences in health behaviors make an important contribution to male disadvantage in mortality. Some behaviors favor men (e.g., exercise), but most do not. Women under 65 report more doctor visits than men. In addition, men drink alcohol more, and more often, men are more than twice as likely to die from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, men are more likely than women to die prematurely from unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide, and more men than women smoke cigarettes.1

In November, Sandoz associates participated in Movember, a global campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men’s health in general. The aim of Movember is to encourage men to be more proactive in managing their health. You can read health tips for men here.

There are many health conditions which affect men and women, such as heart disease and cancer. Other conditions are gender-exclusive. Erectile dysfunction, for example, is a male-only health condition, but their partners can be impacted as well.

One study2 found that ED prevalence among men over 30 was 57% and another study3 predicts an increase in prevalence of ED worldwide from 152 million men in 1995 to 322 million men in 2025. Sandoz has a broad portfolio of medicines that support men’s health and is constantly looking to find innovative solutions to health conditions.